Long Trips – Page 8 – High Park Ski Club Blog

2021-11-08

Charter and Long Trip Update

Mont Tremblant, February 2021 Photo by JK Graham

It has been a very busy time for your Long Trips Committee and trip leaders!

Although the first charter trip, to Club Med in France, does not depart until the end of January, the deadline for new registrants has passed and the trip is now closed. If you are still interested in a charter this season, there are still spots available on our last trip of the season, to Taos, New Mexico in March. But the rest of the charter trips are full.

If you are interested in one of the full trips, spots do open due to various reasons, so be sure to put your name on the wait list. Please check the website and our social media posts for updates.

In late October we started signups for our long bus trips. The mid-week trip to Tremblant in February sold out! But don’t despair, there are still spots available on all of the other long trips.

New this year is a mid-week Mont Ste Anne trip. Also available is the traditional HPSC end of season weekend at Tremblant, and the popular Family Day Eastern Townships Orford trip, which includes two dinners. If you have never dined in the Eastern Townships you are in for a treat! For our cross-country and snowshoe members we are also offering a Family Day weekend to Huntsville including trips to Algonquin Park, Arrowhead, and the Frost Centre.

Unfortunately, we had to postpone the trips to Killington and Jay Peak to a future year. Although it may seem early to postpone, as these trips are months away, there are tight deadlines to avoid penalties with our suppliers for cancelling space, and the initial registration was small. Early sign up by members is important when we have to make these types of decisions.

We are still in uncertain times, but are very optimistic about the 2022 ski season. If you really want to go on a trip this season, we encourage you to sign up now to guarantee your spot.

2021-10-24

Long Trip Sign-up Night on October 28th

After the success of our charter trip signup nights (there are still a limited number of spots available), our long trips sign up is this Thursday, October 28 at 8pm sharp.

Only those fully vaccinated are qualified to register for any trip. If you register and cannot provide your vaccination proof to our Membership team by November 6^th, you will be removed from the trip and will lose your $100 non-refundable deposit.

If you still need to renew your membership, or send in your vaccination proof, and want to sign up for one of the long trips, please do so by Tuesday October 26th. This allows the time for our membership team to process your materials prior to the trip signup on Thursday night.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CHANGE: The first weekend trip in December to Tremblant, that is the instructor training weekend, has been changed from a bus trip to a U-Drive trip, with a corresponding decrease in cost. Regular members are still welcome to register, however, please note you will need to arrange your own transportation to the resort. Also note that there will be no reception on this trip as originally planned.

We have arranged eight bus trips for the upcoming season, including three mid-week trips, and a specific weekend cross-country/snowshoe trip (and a cross-country option for the mid-week Tremblant trip). Three of the trips are cross-border, including the return of our very popular weekend trip to Holiday Valley, just outside of Buffalo.

Members have been asking questions about what the rules will be on the bus. At this point, since all members on the trip will be verified as fully vaccinated, we plan on running the buses at almost full capacity. Similar to when flying, members will be required to wear masks while on the bus and remain in their seat as much as possible. Eating and drinking should be limited, and food should not be passed around. For this year, there will be no ‘party’ table seats at the back

We understand that this is much different than our normal bus trips, but please recall that last season we were not even entertaining running long bus trips at all. Our greatest hope is that by this time next year we will again be back to worrying about trips selling out too quickly!

2021-10-242021-10-24

What we currently know about the rules for cross-border and international trips

As of November 8^th, we will be able to cross over the U.S. land border. This is fantastic news for the club since we have planned three bus trips to U.S. resorts.

What we know at this point is that crossing into the U.S. will require both your passport and your proof of full vaccination. On October 15^th the U.S. also announced that they will accept mixed vaccination of WHO approved vaccines.

When flying (including domestically) you will require your QR code vaccination document (and a photo ID/Passport).

However, currently, when returning to Canada, all travellers need to provide the results from an accepted COVID Test result taken within 72 hours of arrival at the Canadian border. (Rapid tests are not accepted.) If your trip is less than 72 hours (i.e. our Holiday Valley weekend trip) you can get a test done at home prior to leaving and use it on your way back home.

For longer trips, if the same rules still apply, you will need to have a test done while out of the country. Please remember that most of our international trips are not running for another 4 to 5 months, in late February or March 2022, so the requirements when returning to Canada may have changed by that point. Just think back to the quarantine requirements that were in place five months ago last May.

Club Med has indicated to us that they will be able to arrange these tests for our members (at a separate cost to members.) For our U.S. trips we have not been able to confirm exactly how the process will work. With the border closed last season, the resorts did not have to deal with this issue, so this is something new for them, and therefore still in flux.

The Long Trips Committee and those who have stepped up to be Trip Leaders already have a lot of responsibilities and things to keep track of even in a normal year for trips. While the club tries to provide as much information as possible, ultimately, it is up to the individual to understand what the travel rules and requirements are for their personal situation.

If there is anyone who would like to volunteer to help out the club by researching and tracking this topic it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact longtrips@hpsc.ca.

2021-10-132021-11-08

President’s Report – Many things to be thankful for!

October 13, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the HPSC community!

As we move into mid October, it really does feel that things are slowly returning back to normal, or at least as close to normal as possible right now.

On September 30th we held the club’s Annual General Meeting virtually. A thank you to the 70+ members who logged in, and to Kerry Kupecz for acting as the Chairperson for this year’s meeting. The club Annual Report is available to members on our website under About Us/Club Documents.

This past Thursday we had a successful Charter trip sign up, with three trips reaching initial capacity! We honestly were unsure about how enthusiastic members would be. While some trips are full, if you are interested, please put your name on the wait list – sometimes additional spots can be negotiated, and frequently people’s plans or situations change opening up spots. Also please consider the other available trips – all are to great resorts!

I personally want to say thank you to the members of our Long Trips Committee for all of their hard work over the last two seasons. It really has not been easy. And a thank you to all the members who have stepped up to be Trip Leaders this year. Without each one of our volunteers our club could not function.

As a reminder, you must be fully vaccinated to sign up for any of the trips, so please send in your vaccination proof (vac@hpsc.ca) as soon as possible; or at least as a first step please go into your membership profile and click on Edit and acknowledge your vaccination status, (as well as the Code of Conduct, and waiver). At this point about half of our current members have provided or shown their vaccination proof. You must do at least one or the other prior to long trip signup on October 28^th in order to register for a trip. You will eventually need to show us your vaccination proof.

I will be available in person to review your vaccination proof after SkiFit for the next two Saturdays, in High Park (just north of the Maple Leaf by Grenadier Pond) between approximately 10:45 to 11:15am. If you would like to arrange a different time and place, please contact me and we can try to work something out.

If you didn’t join last season due to COVID we understand and would really like to see you back as a member. Just a reminder, the early bird rate of $150 (+HST) for returning members ends on October 31^st. As of November 1^st, the fee increases to $170 (+HST). (For all new members the $150 rate continues for the entire season.)

And personally, this week my 2021/22 Ikon pass arrived in the mail which always lifts my spirits in anticipation of the coming season. Hope to see as many of you on the hills and trails this coming year!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

2021-09-262021-09-27

2022 Front-of-the-Line (FOTL)

If you click on a charter or overnight trip, you will see that the “SPACES LEFT” field will show declining numbers in the days before registration has even opened. Members wonder how can this happen? Are people able to jump the queue? The reason is that some members were issued a FOTL pass. FOTL gets a jump on the rest of the membership to register before trips go on sale.

In a normal year, very few FOTL passes are given out. Generally these are restricted to the Board of Directors and the Long Trips volunteers who planned those trips. But FOTL passes can only be used for one trip. To go on other trips, these dedicated volunteers must still compete for a seat on Trip Sign Up Night like the rest of us.

This season additional FOTL passes were issued to members whose trips were cancelled in March 2020 when the pandemic first hit us. Coronavirus cancelled France 2020 (34 members) and Taos 2020 (50 members). Many of these members received hotel and airline credits instead of an insurance refund payment. The FOTL pass ensures that they are able to get onto a 2022 trip and use their credits. It’s a small bit of good news for these members who lost out on their 2020 charter trip.

Bill Bates, Director

2021-09-152021-09-29

President’s Message – The Renewal of Autumn

SkiFit is even for the President – September 2019

Dear Friends

Things are finally restarting!! After a very long winter, spring, and summer, we have finally reached the point where things for the club are starting up again.

The charter and long trip lists are posted; SkiFit has begun; the first trip signup is next week (for the Serre Chevalier Club Med, France trip); and the Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday September 30^th (official notification will be sent shortly).

As President, it has been fantastic to meet up in person with members of the HPSC community over the last couple of weeks at SkiFit (including a number of new members) and at our various in-person vaccination poof events.

Just a reminder to members who had their membership deferred from last year, you do not have to pay for this season, BUT we still require all to log into their website account and acknowledge the club Code of Conduct, Waiver, and your vaccination status. To do this click on your name in the upper right of the main page after logging in, and then click on EDIT PROFILE. It is on this page that you can read and acknowledge the various documents.

For members under 26 years of age we also require you to read and acknowledge the Concussion Code of Conduct, as required by the provincial government (Rowan’s Law). Although not required for other members, I would highly recommend reviewing it anyway just to understand concussions and what you should do if you suspect having a concussion.

Once you have updated your profile, and for all new and returning members, we then require you to send in your vaccination proof to vac@hpsc.ca (or stop by one of the in-person events – please see below for locations).

While some things are returning to normal there are other things that we still cannot do. We would normally be holding a special volunteer event thanking our fantastic volunteers and handing volunteer awards for the previous season. We would also have scheduled a number of information nights for the fall for new and prospective members to learn more about the club (and current members to reconnect). And I was personally hoping to have a President’s pub crawl this fall. So while things are improving somewhat they are still not back to normal.

As always, I hope that you will read all of the articles in this edition of SnoBiz to find out what is going on with the club!

Sincerely,

Justin Graham, President, High Park Ski Club

2021-08-262021-08-26

Prepare for 2021 Trip Sign Up Nights (TSUN)

TSUNs for 2022 trips will take place on three Thursdays, September 23, October 7 and October 28, 2021. Take a few minutes to read over how to register for a long trip on the website because the instructions have changed from last year. TRIP SIGN UP 2022.

Get ready for the early sign up in mid-September for the first charter trip of the season. We are going to the Club Med Serre Chevalier in France. Serre Chevalier is a new destination for HPSC and is a true ski-in/ski-out resort located in a vast larch forest close to the medieval walled town of Briancon. If you have never been to a Club Med, you find it is a truly all inclusive experience and the food in France never disappoints!

The rest of our charter line up will go on sale on October 7. Panorama is a popular and affordable trip on the Powder Highway in BC. We’ve again booked some 1 bedroom as well as 2 bedroom condominiums with access to the expansive hot tubs facing the mountains.

A club favourite, the Banff Aspen Lodge has been newly renovated in 2021. Located in town on the bus route to Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay with a hot breakfast, two outdoor hot tubs, this trip is always popular. This year we are going in peak season in the 3rd week of February.

Another perennial favourite, the next trip is to Sun Peaks staying at Sun Peaks Lodge. A full hot breakfast and central location make this resort a sell out time and again.

It’s been a few years, but we are going back to Club Med St Moritz Switzerland and this time on MARCH BREAK! Great skiing, sunny days, glamour and history are all part of the experience at this iconic resort.

The final trip of the year will be to the Snakedance Condos in Taos, New Mexico. Both bedrooms in the unit have a split King bed (= two twins). This high altitude section of the Rockies is a unique blend of Native North American and Spanish charm and includes a BBQ dinner evening at the home of the owner.

Charter trips for 2022:

C1 CM Serre Chevalier, Jan 29-Feb 6, 2022 $3,220

C2 Panorama, Feb 5-12, 2022 $1,710

C3 Banff, Feb 12-19, 2022 $1,750

C4 Sun Peaks, Feb 28-Mar 7, 2022 $2,010

C5 CM St Moritz, March 12-20, 2022 $3,160

C6 Taos, March 19-26, 2022 $2,385

2021-08-182021-08-18

So you are vaccinated . . . now what?

As announced earlier in the summer, the HPSC Board made the decision that to protect the health of other club members and volunteers, in order to participate in most in-person club events this season you will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID.

The first step will be to attest to your vaccination status on your member profile page, at the same time you acknowledge the Code of Conduct, Waiver, and Rowan’s law declaration after September 1^st when membership renewal occurs. Any falsification of vaccination status will be considered as a breach of the HPSC Code of Conduct and will be subject to disciplinary review.

However, without confirmation of vaccination status the Long Trips Committee will not be able to arrange roommates or run close to full buses, that allow us to control the costs of trips. Or allow other portfolios to ensure only those fully vaccinated are participating in events.

Therefore, as a second step at some point during the fall, we are asking that members provide our membership team with proof of your vaccination status (i.e. 2^nd shot vaccination certificate or federal vaccination passport announced last week) by emailing it to vac@hpsc.ca. Only those on the membership team will have access to these emails and once they confirm your status by reviewing your document, all of your documents and emails will be deleted. The club will not be storing your private vaccination record.

PLEASE HOLD OFF SENDING YOUR DOCUMENTATION UNTIL AFTER SEPTEMBER 1 WHEN RENEWALS OPEN.

For those concerned about privacy, on the vaccination certificate, we only need to see the following information: Name; Date of 2^nd vaccination; Agent (COVID-19); Dose – 2 of 2. All of the rest of the information can be blacked out.

If you feel uncomfortable in emailing your documentation, we will also be arranging for numerous in-person events (i.e. after each week’s SkiFit; other nights during the week at locations around the city) when you can show the membership team your proof, and they will note your status. If you cannot meet in person and are concerned about emailing your documents, we can arrange for a personal Zoom call where you can show your document. We will NOT be recording or taking screen shots.

Please note that to register for charter or long trips at our signup nights in September and October you will need to have at least attested on your member profile that you are fully vaccinated. As with all members you will also need to provide your vaccination document at some point prior during the fall. If you are not fully vaccinated by trip signup night, you will not be able to register for trips until you are (if spots are still available). If you have not had your second shot yet and want to sign up for charter or long trips, please arrange for your second shot so as soon as possible. At that point you can update your member profile page and send in/arrange to show us your vaccination proof document.

As mentioned earlier, you do not have to send in your vaccination proof right away. If you feel more comfortable doing so when the Federal vaccination passport becomes available that is fine. We just need to review your document prior to your first in-person event (please allow at least 5 days for our team to review and confirm your status – we are all volunteers so it might take time to get to). If you are signing up for a long or charter trip it should be before full payment.

For charter trips, you will likely be required to provide the newly announced federal vaccination passport to our tour company partners. As well, last week the Federal government also announced that proof of vaccination will be required for travel, including domestically, by plane, train, etc. And it makes sense to assume that long distance bus trips should also be included.

If you CANNOT be vaccinated due to a medical condition, and can provide a doctors note to our membership team simply stating this (without any medical diagnosis information) you will be able to have limited participation in club events this year, (i.e. drive up for a day trip and participate in lessons). However, as announced earlier you will not be able to register for any long or charter trips, or to go on the bus for daytrips.

We acknowledge that members have the free choice to not be vaccinated; however, we as the directors of the club have the duty to protect the health and safety of our club members and volunteers to the best of our ability. Until the pandemic is declared over in Canada, the best option for protection and moving to a more ‘normal’ environment is vaccination. If you are dissatisfied with this policy, we are truly sorry. We can, upon request, if you choose, to defer your membership for another year or refund your membership fee (however, your club seniority would be maintained), and we will welcome you back once pandemic measure are lifted.

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

2021-08-12

Become a 2022 Trip Leader

Trip Leaders are very important volunteers for the club. This season we’ll need 15 TLs to lead our 6 charter and 9 overnight bus trips. If you have been on a long trip, you’ve seen a TL in action. If you want to contribute to the club in this way, now is the time to consider it. If you feel it might be too much work for you alone, you can team up with a friend and share the task. Despite the work involved, it is a very rewarding experience and you’ll have fun doing it. You’ll get training, lots of support and a generous honorarium for your time and effort.

Here is what you need to do. Send an email to: Ephraim Fernandez, ephraim.fernandez@gmail.com requesting an application form. Complete the form and submit it by the deadline of Friday, Sep 3, 2021.

Selection is based on the following criteria:

Duration and extent of recent contributions as a volunteer to the club
Leadership skills
Previous trip experience
People skills
Business skills
Computer skills – Excel & Word
Special emphasis on Excel skills
Skiing experience

Every HPSC member is eligible to apply. Don’t delay, request your application now as the time is short.

Bill Bates, Director